Money, Mishaps and Murder

by David Beard

  ‘The will must give details of the daughter; her name for instance.’

  ‘That’s the odd bit, sir, it doesn’t. It just refers to “my daughter” and the solicitors dealing with it know no more.’

  ‘The more we get into this the more I realise what a strange bugger Crossworth was,’ Smalacombe moaned.

  ‘Previous marriage?’ Emily decided to move on.

  ‘No, they have been married for years; once only for both of them and no children.’

  ‘There is a secret daughter, eh?’ Smalacombe commented.

  ‘Well, no one has come forward, sir. I don’t think she knows herself. If she did, with all this money around, she would be out of the woodwork by now. There has been no publicity of this dilemma but no doubt, when it does come to light, we will know pretty quickly.’

  ‘Good point, but if the business folds, or she misses out, that is not our concern, mam,’ Emily intervened.

  ‘It is not up to us to inform the public of this,’ Smalacombe opined.

  ‘I’m not sure; the inheritors are our concern. If they know of it they are not going to let all that dosh slip through their fingers are they?’

  ‘If they don’t know of it,’ Smalacombe shrugged, ‘then who cares?’

  ‘Of one thing the office at A Gate Services is sure, mam: there will be plenty of offers to buy the company from many of their large competitors. My guess is that will happen,’ Sheldon continued.

  ‘Salvation!’

  ‘From what I can gather it seems their computer has been hacked,’ Emily added, ‘they are in a mess.’

  ‘I have contacted A Gate Services again, since we last spoke. They are in trouble at the moment and the chaos is coming from the computer,’ Sheldon confirmed. ‘It is clever and subtle. It began a while back but with only very small alterations to the data, so it was not detected. This meant that even the backups were wrong. It is only in the recent past that it all came to light and that is why Crossworth only found out shortly before he died.’

  ‘They weren’t siphoning off money then?’ Milner asked.

  ‘That is the interesting point, mam,’ Smalacombe decided to outline his take on the situation. ‘This was not about personal gain. This was about destroying Crossworth. Also, they wanted to see him suffer and lose everything,’ he paused and raised his hands, ‘so why kill him? That is our main problem.’

  ‘Are you saying this has no connection with the murders?’

  ‘I wish I knew.’

  Sheldon added to the points made. ‘There is something really frustrating for us. This is a big story now and I understand it will be in the national press tomorrow, together with much about Crossworth himself.’

  ‘Bugger!’ Smalacombe could not conceal his frustration. ‘Once the press start poking around things just get more difficult.’

  ‘We and Crossworth’s solicitors have not issued any info regarding the will, by the way.’

  ‘It is in A Gate Services’ interests, sir and they have cooperated with the press. It will help to salvage their business when it is realised that they have been compromised and it is not to do with incompetence or a lack of integrity. The truth will be out.’

  ‘From the press? You’ve got to be joking.’

  ‘There is one other thing that is very relevant.’ Sheldon was coming to the crux of his investigation. ‘He was pretty ruthless. If the returns on his investments were not good enough, he would asset strip the firm, get his money back and then leave it to die. Often, if he felt the company should be doing better he replaced the management team. I don’t understand who with. But the important thing for us is that Rollisade is under notice to go. Crossworth sacked him and he was sorting out a new management team. Whether it still applies I don’t know, but Rollisade is due to move on at the end of this month.’

  ‘Now we are getting somewhere,’ Milner commented with some satisfaction.

  ‘I still have lots more to look at, but I think this gives us some more to go on.’

  ‘Well done, Sheldon,’ Milner complimented him. ‘Thank you for your time. Now, I need some time with the chief inspector.’

  The two juniors left. ‘Well, tell me how you feel it is going, Dexter?’ she asked after the door was shut and they were alone.

  ‘This last bit is a bombshell. At this point I really don’t know. We have so much info, but none of it is tying up at the moment.’ He continued and filled his superior in with everything that they had so far discovered.

  ‘There are an awful lot of gaps. I see what you mean,’ she concurred.

  ‘I am not even sure we are heading in the right direction. There is no continuity with the information we are getting. We haven’t checked out his local charity work and the parish council yet, or Heather Lynley’s indiscretions. I must get to Bristol as well.’

  ‘I think from what you have told me it probably lies with the business side of things.’ She paused as she wanted to change tack. ‘How is Sergeant Corndon doing?’

  ‘She is doing extremely well, but she knows too much, and I can’t keep up with her.’ Milner smiled, which was the reaction Smalacombe was looking for. ‘We get on well; she is very committed, very able and she has a quick sense of humour…’

  ‘Which she needs, working with you.’

  ‘I’m not going to change, Sheila. It’s take it or leave it.’

  ‘Be careful now; that could be very costly. My guess is Freda wants a happy retirement with a good pension.’

  ‘Look, Emily has nothing to fear from me, but I can’t pretend to be someone I’m not.’

  ‘Should you be discussing with her whether she wets herself when cycling?’

  ‘She told you that?’

  ‘In passing; it wasn’t a complaint. It may well have been, had it been someone else. But, really, should a chief inspector be making those sorts of remarks to a young junior officer?’

  ‘You left out the female bit.’

  Milner shook her head. ‘You are incorrigible.’

  ‘I know: it’s good isn’t it. Like I said, it’s take it or…’

  ‘She can manage these things with great amusement, and to your good fortune. As you have said, she enjoys a good laugh, especially a rude one by all accounts. But…’

  ‘Oh come on!’

  ‘I don’t want you accused of verbal innuendo. I rely on you to know where to draw the line. I can assure you, the last thing I want is for you and me to fall out. Do you know where the line is?’

  ‘Of course I don’t. I just test it all the time. Just the same when I’m investigating, as you well know and it usually gets results. Look, I make no concessions. I treat her exactly as I do with male sergeants. You want equality? Then, that’s how it is. If I want to say something stupid, I will. If something prompts me to go for a laugh, I will. If I ever have the occasion to tell her to fuck off, I will. This person is working with me as a sergeant, full stop. By the way, she has the right to tell me to fuck off as well; I can live with that.’

  ‘Dexter…’

  ‘Do I treat you any differently from your male predecessors? I’ll tell you. I don’t! Should I?’

  ‘Of course not. OK, I’ve touched a raw nerve. I’m not issuing you with a warning, I’m just saying, be careful, that’s all.’

  ‘I’ve had my say. Let’s leave it at that.’

  *

  Conrad Rollisade arrived with his lawyer and was at least an hour late. Smalacombe was furious and paced up and down in his office when he was told. He knew he had to calm down or he would be in the same position as Rollisade was at their previous meeting. With a brief present, and as Sheila Milner had just pointed out that he did not know where the line was to be drawn, he knew he was in danger of messing things up. He quickly devised a solution to the problem and called his sergeant in.

  ‘Emily, Rollisade is pissing us around. Two things! First, we’ll reciprocate and leave him to stew for half an hour. Make sure there is someone around to see that he doesn’t up-sticks. Se
cond, with how angry I am, if I plough in, I will mess it up, I know. So, I want you to lead the interview. Can you manage that?’

  ‘With pleasure! I will go down and sort out a door crew and come back so that we can discuss the tactics. Better still, I will take Rollisade to the interview room, pretend to start and then make excuses…’

  ‘I’ll send someone down to call you out.’

  To Smalacombe’s delight, when they eventually went to the interview room, it was clear that Rollisade was even angrier than he was and no better than at the last interview. Rollisade started to harangue Smalacombe before the opening formalities had been dealt with.

  ‘Have you seen the time? What is it with you incompetent lot? We have been waiting here for half an hour.’ This was just the prelude to a long polemic.

  Emily interrupted him, ‘Mr Rollisade, we need to begin this formally and you may be annoyed that you have had to wait but so have we. It is now eleven thirty. Had you arrived on time, it would all be done by now. Our schedules are also very tight.’

  ‘I have much to…’

  ‘So do we, Mr Rollisade,’ Emily interrupted him again. She looked to the lawyer. ‘May we deal with the formalities and switch on the recorder?’ The brief nodded and this was at last accomplished.

  ‘Mr Rollisade, I have to be blunt. You did not tell us everything you knew about this case at our last meeting.’

  ‘I don’t want to hear this nonsense. What I want to know is why I am here?’

  ‘I am not concerned with what you don’t want to hear,’ Emily continued. Smalacombe began to relax; his sergeant was conducting this word perfectly, exactly as he would have behaved. ‘This meeting is for what we want,’ she continued with an emphasis on we. At that remark Smalacombe felt like cheering: it was even better than Bristol City scoring a goal. ‘Now, you have a long association with Henry Crossworth.’

  ‘No, I don’t.’

  ‘Drop the “long”, sergeant,’ Smalacombe spoke for the first time. ‘Mr Rollisade?’

  ‘All right! I know him.’

  ‘He began injecting capital into your business three years ago and now his company owns seventy four per cent of it.’ Rollisade looked blank. ‘I need an answer.’ Emily stared at him wide eyed.

  The lawyer spoke, ‘That is correct.’

  ‘Mr Rollisade, when did Mr Crossworth give you notice of dismissal?’

  Rollisade leant back in his chair and threw his arms in the air, ‘I am not prepared to answer these questions.’ He looked to his lawyer who frowned and shook his head vigorously. ‘And whose bloody side are you on?’

  ‘There are just some things they have to confirm, Conrad. Fair enough, you don’t have to answer.’

  ‘I will help you,’ Emily continued. ‘You received your notice on the twelfth of July; five weeks ago. You are due to leave the company at the end of this month.’

  ‘Not now, I’m not. Crossworth is no longer here to enforce it.’

  ‘Well now, under present circumstances, that is a most interesting comment. A Gate Services is still in existence and running.’

  ‘I did not kill him. As always, with you lot, you are barking up the wrong tree. It’s time to go.’

  ‘So, you have had experience with the police before?’ Smalacombe asked, ignoring Rollisade’s last remark.

  ‘I don’t have to answer that. You have your files.’

  ‘Going back to your sacking,’ Emily persevered, ‘I don’t see that Mr Crossworth’s demise alters anything,’ she continued, although not sure of her facts. ‘Where were you last Sunday?’

  ‘I was at home: gardening.’

  ‘Is there anyone who can confirm that? Mrs Rollisade perhaps?’

  ‘I am divorced.’

  Emily could not stifle a smile; she could not imagine any woman putting up with him. ‘You said at our last meeting that you are going away on business. I find that hard to believe as you will be leaving the company within the next fortnight.’

  Rollisade rolled his eyes and sighed. ‘I am looking for another bloody job. From where do they pluck you idiots? Can’t you rationalise one piece of information with another?’

  ‘Clearly not, as if we could manage it, we would probably be charging you with something by now,’ Smalacombe interjected.

  The lawyer intervened. ‘Now we have reached this level of abuse, I don’t think there is much point in continuing. It is time to go.’

  ‘I will make that decision, sir. I am just counteracting your client’s negativity and it’s all on there,’ he pointed to the recorder. ‘Mr Rollisade, we must address the sacking of Samantha Peckham.’

  The brief came in once more. ‘That’s a separate issue and it’s a civil matter.’

  ‘I’m sorry, but it isn’t. You know she is Mrs Lynley’s daughter and she was sacked two days before her mother was murdered. We cannot separate these two events without an investigation, which may eliminate the possibility of a connection or otherwise.’

  ‘Look, she was ripping us off,’ Rollisade intervened. ‘We have not reported any activities to you. It is something we wish to resolve ourselves.’

  ‘Would Henry Crossworth have agreed to that?’

  Rollisade looked exasperated; he sighed and shook his head vigorously.

  ‘Well, she has made an official complaint to us. She is concerned that criminal activities have been carried out and she has been accused of them. This means we have to check this out.’

  ‘The matter rests with us,’ Rollisade replied.

  Emily was uneasy with this but she understood the dilemma they were in and even more so if Rollisade disappeared. ‘In fact, Mr Rollisade, it doesn’t rest with you; it rests with A Gate Services and us. We will be addressing this issue with them. We need to be sure that we can contact you over the next few weeks.’

  ‘You have no authority to hold me.’

  Smalacombe knew the interview would provide nothing further and decided to close it with one more statement. ‘We don’t wish to hold you but in order to safeguard your interests we will be issuing you with police bail and before you complain we have outlined all of our concerns in the report and they will take time to investigate.’

  Rollisade looked to his brief, ‘What is he on about?’ The lawyer did not answer.

  ‘You have built yourself a problem, Mr Rollisade,’ Smalacombe continued, ‘you have made it very clear to us that you will not cooperate, you have hinted that you are leaving the area but we cannot relieve you of these pressures until we get your full story. Furthermore, I am sure we will need to interview you again. We have no alternative under these circumstances and the bail conditions will be to withhold your passport and to be kept informed of your whereabouts.’

  Rollisade was unable to sit still: he placed his hands on the table, then immediately crossed his arms; he then placed his hands on his head followed by an open handed gesture with outstretched arms as he looked above him. Finally he stood, ‘I’ve had enough!’

  Smalacombe nodded to the officer by the door who then came forward and stood by Rollisade. ‘Fortunately, so have we, Mr. Rollisade. Interview ends…’ he checked the clock, announced the time and stood up.

  The interview was unsatisfactory and produced nothing new, but both officers were satisfied that Rollisade’s attitude confirmed that he had something to hide. Before they could settle down to analyse where they were with him, they were told that Samantha Peckham had arrived and wanted to speak with them. When they came to the interview room, Samantha was already seated and with a laptop opened on the desk in front of her.

  ‘I have been working on my mother’s correspondence non-stop,’ she said before the two had time to sit down. ‘It might be better if you come to this side and look over my shoulder,’ she added.

  She opened up her mother’s email account. ‘I have identified two emails with a reference I can’t comprehend,’ she said. ‘There is one from Crossworth to mother and one from her to him. They are unrelated; indeed there is mo
re than a year between them and in the midst of hundreds of others and maybe it is just an error; I don’t know.’

  She moved the cursor on to one sentence, ‘The context is unimportant. It says here, “I hope our daughter is in the dark.”.’ She changed the email to the incoming files and called up one contact more than two years older than the one she had just read. Again, she pointed to one comment. ‘Look, “I’d like to help our daughter, but you know how difficult that would be.” It may have been just an unintentional slip, missed out the “y”; “our” should be “your” I don’t know? It’s just two references out of hundreds.’

  Smalacombe was non-plussed. ‘Are you suggesting that you have a step sister somewhere?’

  ‘I don’t know. To be fair, in all other emails I am referred to as Sam or Samantha. One thing I did not tell you yesterday and I don’t know why, is that Crossworth was one of my childhood uncles. He has been around a very long time, not exclusively but intermittently, I would add, and when I was little he was very affectionate towards me. I’m frightened; I don’t know who I am anymore.’

  Before Smalacombe could ask the obvious question, Emily butted in, ‘Do you know of Crossworth’s will?’

  ‘No! Why should I? Look, are these silly slips or something more? I need to know who I am. I just want you to take a sample from me and check my DNA.’

  ‘With pleasure, Samantha. You think he may be your dad?’ Emily was relieved that Samantha did not know of the will and her concerns were not motivated by greed.

  ‘I can’t sleep for thinking about it; I’m in turmoil.’

  Smalacombe concluded. ‘Is that it?’

  ‘It’s enough isn’t it? I am still searching, Chief Inspector. I think there will be a few more revelations.’

  ‘Thank you. I am sure there is much more to be revealed.’

  She closed the computer and made to leave but just as she approached the door something crossed her mind. ‘Why did you ask me about Crossworth’s will?’

  ‘No reason, we want to know its contents,’ Smalacombe lied. ‘I will arrange a DNA test for you tomorrow morning.’

  ‘Before I forget, my father,’ she paused and gave a wry smile, ‘will be back in Tiverton tomorrow morning and he will be happy to see you, providing you can put up with his jet lag.’ She closed the door behind her and they could hear her heals clip along the corridor getting quieter as she went.